Maximum representation for a concave conservation law ($U(t,x)={\max }_y\{U_0(y)+tg((x-y)/t)\}$)

Let $f$ be smooth and strictly concave, with $f(0)=0$ and $f^{\prime }$ bijective, and let $u_0$ be smooth with compact support. For $0<t<t_{\ast }$ in the smooth concave-flux characteristic lifespan, the primitive $U_x=u$ solves the Hamilton-Jacobi equation $U_t+f(U_x)=0$ and obeyswhere $g$ is the concave Legendre dual. The tangent inequality for a concave function bounds every candidate by $U(t,x)$, and the backward characteristic curve attains equality. Its foot $x_0$ is the unique maximizer, and $u(t,x)=h((x-x_0)/t)$ for $h=(f^{\prime }{)}^{-1}$. This statement concerns the smooth solution, without asserting a post-crossing continuation.

Under the inverse-flux quadratic bounds, smooth compactly supported data in a scalar conservation law satisfyAt the maximizing foot $x_0$, the maximum representation for a concave conservation law bounds $U$ below by $-\Vert u_0{\Vert }_1$ and above by $\Vert u_0{\Vert }_1+k_{+}(x-x_0-ct{)}^2/t$. This bounds the deviation of the characteristic speed from $c$; the linear inverse-flux bound then controls $u$. The time interval ends at the first characteristic crossing.